New Jersey Route 15

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Route 15

Length:

19.53 mi (31 km)

Formed:

1953

South end:

US 46 in Dover

Major
junctions:

I-80 in Wharton

NJ 181 in Hurdtown

NJ 94 in Lafayette

North end:

US 206 in Frankford Twp

New Jersey State Highway Routes
< NJ 14		NJ 17 >

Route 15 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States. It runs from East McFarland Street (U.S. Route 46) in Dover to an intersection with U.S. Route 206 in Frankford Township. From the section starting in Jefferson Township until Sparta, Route 15 is a freeway known as the Sparta Bypass.

1 History
2 Future Improvements
3 Renaming the Highway
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

Before the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 15 was Route 6A. Since then Route 15 began in Frankford Township/Augusta at the intersection of U.S. Route 206 and County Route 565. It begins as a two-lane highway and goes through Lafayette Township, where it runs into Route 94. For a quarter mile, Routes 15 and 94 run as a concurrency, until Route 94 turns off to the northeast while Route 15 heads south east. At that point, Route 15 enters Sparta Township. Several miles into Sparta, the original Route 15 breaks off into Route 181, heading into downtown Sparta and Jefferson Township. At this point, Route 15 becomes a freeway bypassing downtown Sparta Township. Several miles south, the freeway leaves Sussex County and Sparta Township, and enters Morris County in Jefferson Township. A few miles into Jefferson Township the freeway ends, as does Route 181 (the old Route 15). At this point, Route 15 becomes a four-lane divided highway.

Originally, the 2 southbound lanes were the original Route 15, and until the late 1960's this section was a two-lane road going both ways. Businesses and even a few homes lined this road. As traffic became congested it was decided to widen Route 15, but the problem was businesses were too close to the road to make simple widening to four lanes feasible. So in an unusual move, the original two-lane road was made into a one way southbound road. At the same time, two, and even three, north-bound lanes would be built behind the businesses. As a result, the northbound and southbound lanes are about an eighth of a mile apart with businesses in the middle. Businesses are easily accessible from the southbound lanes but have limited access from the northbound side with two exits available to access them.

A couple miles south, the lanes come closer together on a rather hilly terrain. At the bottom of a steep mountain the road becomes a typical four lane divided highway with a couple businesses and a Picatinny Arsenal exit/entrance. At this point, Route 15 leaves Jefferson Township and enters Rockaway Township. For a very short distance Route 15 becomes a freeway as it crosses the Interstate 80 interchange. After crossing Route 80 though Route 15 becomes a non-divided four lane road and a few businesses including a Supermarket and a Warehouse Club Store line the road plus an entrance to the Rockaway Townsquare Mall which today is a huge shopping area with most every store conceivable. Past the Rockaway Townsquare Mall entrance, Route 15 becomes two lanes and enters the Town of Dover. Route 15 crosses U.S. Route 46 under a bridge and winds into downtown Dover concurrent with several streets. Finally, Route 15 ends at an intersection with US 46, only a few blocks from that underpass.

Route 15 today is a major road for Sussex County residents who work in Morris County and closer to New York City to commute.

[edit] Future Improvements

Wilson Drive and White Lake Road will be realigned to form one signalized intersection, completion expected in 2008.
The terminus of Route 15 with U.S. Route 46 will be reconstructed to an "at grade" intersection, completion expected 2009.
Studies are being made to improve the Route 15 corridor from I-80 to U.S. Route 206. Concepts include widening, the addition of climbing lanes, and a potential bypass of Lafayette. The residents of the small rural village are widely in favor of the bypass, instead of a road widening through their town. If the bypass is constructed it would be a Super 2 freeway (the second so far in New Jersey), and run from the current northern freeway terminus to an interchange with U.S. Route 206.

[edit] Renaming the Highway

There is a local grassroots movement to honor the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan by renaming Route 15 after him. On February 6, 2006, a bill was introduced in the New Jersey General Assembly by Assemblymen Michael Patrick Carroll and Richard A. Merkt to designate Route 15 as the "Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway".^[1]